Historic Heat
This historical event took place during a blistering Philadelphia summer in 1776, culminating in the birth of a new nation on July 4th.
What is the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
This specific calendar date in June usually marks the official astronomical start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is June 21st?
Jay Gatsby throws lavish summer parties on Long Island in this classic 1925 American novel.
What is The Great Gatsby?
This classic Italian version of ice cream is denser, smoother, and contains less air than its traditional American counterpart.
What is gelato?
This term refers to the left side of a ship when you are facing forward toward the bow.
What is port?
The legendary woodwind-heavy Woodstock Music Festival took place during a rainy, humid August weekend in this historic year.
What is 1969?
This spectacular annual meteor shower peaks every August, treating stargazers to dozens of shooting stars per hour.
What are the Perseids?
This William Shakespeare comedy features a magical forest, love potions, and a mischievous fairy named Puck.
What is A Midsummer Night's Dream?
This layered summer treat features shaved ice, sweet syrups, condensed milk, and various toppings like sweet beans, originating in Hawaii.
What is shave ice?
This unit of measurement, equal to one nautical mile per hour, is used to track the speed of a boat or watercraft.
What is a knot?
This famous 1863 Civil War battle was fought over three scorching July days in Pennsylvania.
What is the Battle of Gettysburg?
This hot, sultry period of summer is named after Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, also known as the "Canis Major."
What are the dog days of summer?
This Ernest Hemingway novel captures the intense atmosphere of the running of the bulls in Pamplona during a hot Spanish summer.
What is The Sun Also Rises?
This dairy-free alternative to ice cream relies heavily on fruit purée and sugar, and its name comes from the French word for "cooled."
What is sorbet?
This heavy fabric device, often shaped like a parachute, is thrown into the water to slow down a vessel's drift in open water.
What is a sea anchor?
In July 1969, millions of people watched their TVs as this historic spacecraft successfully landed humans on the moon.
What is Apollo 11?
During the summer solstice, this invisible line of latitude experiences the sun directly overhead at noon.
What is the Tropic of Cancer?
Ray Bradbury wrote a nostalgic 1957 novel named after this sweet, golden summer beverage made from backyard weeds.
What is Dandelion Wine?
This famous Japanese treat features small balls of premium ice cream wrapped in a sweet, chewy pounded rice dough.
What is mochi ice cream?
This specific term refers to the kitchen area on a ship where food is prepared for the crew.
What is the galley?
This legendary Roman emperor famously played music while a massive, catastrophic fire destroyed much of his city during the summer of 64 AD.
Who was Nero?
This Latin term refers to the point in Earth's orbit when it is furthest away from the sun, which surprisingly happens every year in early July.
What is aphelion?
This 1912 Thomas Mann novella follows a writer who travels to a famous Italian resort city to escape his creative block, only to meet a tragic end.
What is Death in Venice?
This traditional Mexican frozen treat is made with fresh fruit, nuts, or chocolate, and is often frozen directly onto a wooden stick.
What is a paleta?
This rhythmic, repetitive song was traditionally sung by sailors to keep rhythm while performing heavy group labor on deck.
What is a sea shanty?